June is the month when us gardener types like to herald the coming of a new season as spring eases gently into summer. Although the spring display was very early this year, with everything from daffodils and bluebells to rhododendrons and camellias all blooming at least three or four weeks ahead of schedule, there are signs that this phenomenon is steadying as nature starts to catch up with itself once again.

Either way, there will be plenty to catch the eye as you wander the myriad of garden paths this month.

In a normal year there will be many rhododendrons that flower well into June but there are some specific types that are more reliable than others at this time of year, particularly considering the aforementioned early spring we’ve been experiencing. Dotted throughout the many paths that zig-zag their way from the top western side of the garden down to the lakes you’ll find the likes of Rhododendron hemsleyanum with its fragrant white blooms for insyance, the viscosum Azalea, or Swamp Honeysuckle as it is commonly known due to the unusual start-shaped flowers, and Rhododendron griersonianum with its gorgeous scarlet inflorescence. Rhododendron ‘Polar Bear’ is another unusual white flowered shrub of considerable age that can be found flowering in June near The Clocktower Kitchen. We’ve recently planted two sister plants of ‘Pink Polar Bear’ as well as R. ‘James Burchett’ along Falling Walk which will also add to the late spring, early summer Rhododendron displays.

As some of our feature Rhododendrons start to tail off at the end of spring, our deciduous azaleas really are the gift that keeps on giving. Flowering slightly later, particularly down in the valley, some of the displays along the lakeside banks are truly a sight to behold. A complementary pallet of salmon pinks, oranges and soft yellows line your walk as you meander next to the water.

Some other fantastic June specials to look out for this year should include the likes of:

Our Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) on the main house lawn. Planted as a replacement for a huge specimen that used to sit almost where the Faith sculpture is now but was sadly lost in the 1987 storm, this tree should be studded with pretty blooms in June, usually starting from the top down. Interestingly, it’s not called the Tulip Tree because of its flowers but actually because the leaves, which when turned upside down, resemble the classic shape of a tulip.

Our flowering dogwoods (Cornus sp.) should also be continuing their annual time in the spotlight this month. We have over 100 specimens in the garden and over 30 different types. Their delicate flowers started in late May this year, with the large Cornus kousa ‘Miss Satomi’ down the slope from the entrance building often a particular highlight for visitors. Once the flowers have finished they’ll be followed by their unusual strawberry-like fruits so make sure you don’t miss those later in the year too.

Another exciting floral feature in the garden during June will be the explosion of Allium and Digitalis (or foxglove) flowers. Dotted around most of the beds in the upper garden areas, such as in front of the mansion for example, you’ll be able to enjoy a huge range of colours, shapes and sizes of these two plants which are both huge favourites of mine. Especially look out for some of the new additions to the Allium collection that were planted last autumn including the soft pink hues of ‘Summer Drummer’, the off-white ‘Marshmallow’, the unusual wine-coloured ‘Red Mohican’ and the absolutely bonkers Allium schubertii and it’s ‘Artic Snow’ cousin which both look positively alien!

Temperatures Rise

As the temperatures rise, the garden team will be spending an increasing amount of time on presentation standards, particularly around the mansion area, as the weeds start to grow in earnest. We try not use any chemicals if at all possible so the weeds will be removed by hand with the annuals being composted and the more perennial tap root types being burnt.  The grass will really be growing as we enter June also, so the team will be getting their engines running and mowing and strimming across the site on a more regular basis now too.

With our Interlude restaurant hitting their busy season, we’ll be working hard to provide the kitchen team with more interesting produce from the garden during June. We’ll be growing edible flowers such as Nasturtium, cornflowers and marigolds and also tending to our micro-crops in our dedicated grow room in the basement of the mansion. The Herb Garden below the house is also newly planted with the likes of bronze fennel, purple sage, lemon verbena, woodruff, alpine strawberries and granadilla vines so hopefully they will provide plenty of harvestable material too.

Watering will also become more of a priority in June, especially if last year is anything to go by. We’ve recently planted delicate new plants in areas such as the house borders, the herbaceous beds opposite the house, the Rock Garden and in the various pots and containers that form our seasonal displays. One area which hopefully won’t need as much watering though is our new Dry Garden next the visitor hub building. Designed as part of our tributes to King Charles and his coronation last year, this border contains drought tolerant plants that should be better able to withstand a hot summer as climate change, an issue which King Charles is very much focussed on, starts to affect the way we garden.

There is one garden tour in June that you can book onto if you haven’t already done so: on June 19th at 10.30am you can learn all about the history and future of the garden from one of our fantastic guides. So as usual there is plenty to see and do across the whole garden here at Leonardslee. I look forward to seeing you all here again soon.

Jamie Harris, Head Gardener